Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-25
THE PARK AFTER DARK.
INTERESTING NIGHT SCENES AT
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE.

Hunting for Tramp Dogs and Stray Cats
A Capital Pisc. for Meditation-Dead
Lovers.
Keeper Tom Donohue every night sallies
forth in Central park with his shotgun on
hunt for tramp dogs and stray cats.
. The dogs come ia 10 kill the rabbits
guineas and pcafGwl The sheep are all
penned during the night. Cats go TO itha
park TO get squirrels and birds There
used 10 be good fishing III the lake, but il
hasn't been allowed for years
Night nj the mrnagcrieS is perhaps more
interesting than elsewhere in the park
/ somehow iron bars and cages do not IooK
nearly 80 strong at night as they do in
broad daylight. and a sense of possible
danger adds considerable interest 10 a
midnight visit. As a rule the brutes sleep
pretty soundly, but there are exceptions
The sea lions, of which there are six in
the ponds, keep mp their discordant bark
ing until after II O'Clock, and begin it
again AT daylight. Every now and then
one of the eagles will give a shrill. piercing
shrek. which makes the chance pa,ser
start with sudden terror, and highly in-
censes the residents of near by houses on
Fifth avenue The coyotes, or prairie
wolves, have n happy fashion of howling
in their blood Curdling way at every noise,
and now and then the iackals and lions
join i'll the chorus. When the lion takes
a notion TO give a good old fashioned roar,
every animal, great and small, in the me
nagerie lifts up its voice. and sleep in the
neighbOrhood for the next ten minutes is
impossible TO every one but Mr.. Crowley,
the chimpanzee. He slumbers sweetly all
night long, no matter how much of
racket the other animals are indulging in.
He had until a short time ago little cot
to sleep on. but he broke the bottom out
Of it, and now he curls up on the floor of
his big cage on the barracks ~
THE ANIMALS GET OFT
Some Of the animals get out once in a
while. and then all hands turn out for a
hunt. The tapir climbed over his fence
one night not very long ago and led the
keepers lively chase before he was re-
captured. He swan across the lake and
1t was fully two hours before he was put
in safe place again. The buflaloes have
got away more than once and they are
apt 10 show fight before they will submit
TO being driven back TO their pens. The
lions and tigers lie on their backs with
their feet up in the air when they Sleep
and the bears, who in the day time are
mortal enemies, huddle together as closely
as possible as soon as night comes on. The
owls, although they are popularity sup
posed 10 stay awake all night. don't do
Of the kind at the meuagerie.
They wake up occasionally, but even then
they do not hOot. They only snap their
beaks lazily once or twice and turn over
for another nap.
There isn't usually much left in Central
park at night. Ii is never wildly exciting
except perhaps 10 men of superstitious
tendencies and weak nerves 1t is very
peaceful and quiet, and capital place for I
reflection. Through the black branches
of surrounding trees one can see the ,
thousands of lights glittering in the tall ,
flat houses far and near. Some are SO
high above The ground that they would he ,
easily mista ken for stars. Down by the
lake it is very dark and still and solemn
at night. The black water laps lazIy on {
the shores and whispers queer secrets 10
the listening bushes. Over on the west I
shore, where the little summer house is J
timly seen in the starlight, is Dead Mans :
landing. Many a time has it had lying ,
On its rough boards all that remained Of
some ponr, weary, disheartened wretch, ,
who, taking chances OH the hereafter, had
slipped over so quietly into the kindly
waters 10 add one more item TO the record
# the found drowned"
IRE LATE STAYING LOVERS.
The latest stayers III the park are the I
overs. They sit close together on the |
benches and whisper the old story over
md over again until gray coated, brass
m nod oil nd =
,ays in his cruel, official tones: Times
up; all persons must go outside It's y
lfter 8 o'clock" Think of it, Only =
''clock, and they could sit there until b
a. IN. and never weary for one instant.
well, sir, >" said sparrow policeman,
them lovers is study. I've done some ',
curtin in my day as well as any one, y
,ut, Lord, / never had it as bad as them :
IS comes in here. Why, do You know, =
we seen 'em that far gone that they'd
ome here when the snow lay three or
our inches deep in the ground, clear of
ust space enough for two on bench, and
II there talkin' an spoonin' for hours,
With the snow piled up on each side Of d
hem. Fact, sir, an they begged TO be Il
llOwed 10 sit awhile longer when I told Il
EN- ii was time TO he movin' out There's y
more of EN- in the summer, of course, but o
he winter ones is the most lovin'" p
There used TO be a mysterious, noncom- |,
littal woman who, every summer morn It
lg as the clock was striking 4, would sp- q
ear on the ramble, and, walking swiftly cl
yer 10 where the peacocks had been strut
ing the day before, search the ground for
gathers. When she found one. which
1as not often-for the children kept a =
een lookout for them-she would stick it y
4 her hair and appear highly delighted at f
he effect which she noted in little bit p
T broken looking glass. They say she $
Tas never known to make but one re- b
lark, but that was often repeated. She r
'ould say I'm IA mighty fine bird when
yer she was spoken 10. There her COM }
would cease-New York
un. u
Mineral Springs and Their Uses I